-Benn to give update after further investigation
Following his controversial arrest in the wee hours of yesterday morning after police stormed into his home, former Director of Sports Christopher Jones condemned the operation as a coordinated political attack that he believes was aimed at embarrassing and intimidating not just him but the main opposition.
Jones was subsequently released on $100,000 station bail by police, who seized equipment from his property as part of an investigation into the alleged simple larceny of barbershop equipment purchased under a government-funded project.
Former president David Granger, who is the leader of Jones’ party, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), denounced the actions of the police during the operation, which he dubbed a coordinated political attack as he called for an immediate investigation.
Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn later told Stabroek News that he would not be “getting into” accusations of political attacks as he noted that he would further investigate what occurred and give a concise update.
However, he said that he was told that it was “a police matter” where law enforcers went to the house to retrieve items belonging to the state. A police spokesman also explained that an investigation was ongoing into an allegation against Jones, including that he had “state assets” valued more than $4 million at the property.
The manner in which police carried out the operation, including the deployment of dozens of ranks, an attempt to execute a search without a warrant and their alleged disregard for a court order barring them from proceeding, sparked public outrage and condemnation as a stain on the new Irfaan Ali-led PPP/C administration.
Traumatised
For his part, Jones said the operation left his three minor children and his wife still traumatised and, like Granger, he called for a probe.
“It has all of the traits of political, vindictive attacks. This wasn’t a regular police matter. A regular incident would have one or two police turn up. We had counted about 47 police officers, 11 police vehicles and then police came with cordons. My neighbours and other people who live in the street could not get out and people could not get in. You had all of this heavy police presence,” he told Stabroek News, while also lamenting that that his area had power outage at the time.
There were other power outages in the ward during the day.
“We were blacked out and now we are looking back and seeing this could not have been accident. The whole idea was to embarrass me…this was a clear political attack on me. It was meant as imprisonment, to frighten me and other members of the PNC and coalition supporters. It was to use me as an example of ‘If ya’ll talk up, this is what will happen to ya’ll too’. It is that sort of thing they did,” Jones asserted.
While he said that he would not be intimidated, Jones admitted that as a father and husband, he felt hurt and helpless seeing the trauma the operation inflicted on his family. “My kids are inside of the house peeking through the windows and see all of this commotion and all they know is that the police come for their father. My six-year-old daughter was literally running from arm to arm for somebody to embrace her. Myself and the wife tried to console them but at the same time we could hear the police banging down on the door downstairs. I don’t know if they pick the lock or what and got inside, but at one point we had to leave the kids, who were already crying,” he related.
“You had one of the police inside of my house shouting at my wife…this is him inside my house cussing up my wife. You have to also be careful here because it is, after all, the police. All this is happening downstairs with us and the police and my kids are alone upstairs crying,” an emotional Jones added.
Jones was arrested Friday morning, hours after his lawyer secured an order barring the law enforcers from entering his Georgetown home without a warrant.
Vanloads of lawmen had turned up at Jones’ house around 6.30pm Thursday and had attempted to enter his yard but Jones questioned if they had a warrant. They had none and remained outside the house after a large crowd had gathered, including members of the APNU+AFC coalition.
At around 12.30 yesterday morning, the police allegedly broke a lock and entered his home, arresting him and removing the boxes.
A reliable police source told Stabroek News that by that time a warrant was indeed issued for the search to be conducted at Jones house.
According to the source, Jones was reportedly showed the warrant by the ranks but they were reportedly prevented from entering the premises since he had a dog. This resulted in a standoff between Jones and the law enforcement officers and as a result a call was made for reinforcements, the source said.
As it relates to the court order, the source said that document was indeed served but the marshals allegedly did not hand deliver the document but rather threw it on the ground where it was left.
‘State assets’
When contacted, Benn said the operation was not political and the police were acting on information that the state’s assets were at the property. He did admit that the police did not initially have a search warrant and had turned up at the residence as they sought one from the courts. “The report I have was that they waited there and they got a warrant at 12.30 in the morning,” he added.
According to police spokesman Royston Andries-Junor, a report was made on Thursday that Jones was allegedly in possession of “state assets” value more than $4 million.
In a statement, the police said that ranks, acting on the report, ventured to Jones’ house in an effort to contact him. Upon arrival at the location, the police said ranks observed items at Jones house which fit the description of the “state assets.”
“Immediately contact was made with Christopher Jones who was told of the allegation and a request was made to conduct a search of the residence for the said state assets,” the police said.
The police further noted that Jones indicated that he did not have any state assets and that the items were in fact his property.
A request was then made to search Jones residence, the police said, but he indicated that he needed to speak with his lawyer. “…Which he did and then informed the police that no access will be granted,” the police added.
While the police in its initial report said that no search was conducted, they later clarified that a search was conducted and the items which are deemed “state assets” were recovered.
The items which were seized were purchased as part of a $4 million government funded project under the Sustainable Livelihood and Entrepreneurial Development (SLED) programme.
In an interview with Stabroek News, Jones said that the equipment is his and he cannot see how he could steal from himself.
Jones explained that as part of an initiative to empower youths, he wanted to assist some 22 young persons who had approached him for help to open individual shops or purchase equipment for barbering.
As a result, a plan was created to build a barbershop in his constituency and government help would be sought to furnish it. But none of the young persons had the required collateral or assets to secure a loan from the bank to build such a structure, he explained, and he took it upon himself to secure a $16.5 million loan from Republic Bank. The overall project cost, he said, was about $26 million.
An application was made to the Ministry of Social Protection, through the SLED programme. “I indicated to them that I was building a barbershop in South Georgetown and indicated to them that I was seeking assistance in purchasing equipment for the barbershop,” Jones said.
It was noted that the programme does not give money to individuals but instead each Regional Development Council would procure the needed items and distribute it, which he and the barbers were fine with. “The RDCs would procure a supplier who would then supply the equipment. They would inform the RDC they have the item, the RDC would inform me the item was available to be uplifted and I signed that the items were in good order,” he said.
Jones added that the plan and project were approved but he had to put $6.5 million upfront and he did, putting up his personal assets as security because he believed in the project. He said because of the political environment he decided to hold off on construction but he has already started repaying on the loan in the hope the project would be realised. “The shop wasn’t completed because of the preparation into elections and then the elections itself took five months,” he said.
Jones did concede that given his position as an executive of the ruling party at the time and also Director of Sports, the optics looked bad in the area of transparency. But the reality, according to him, was that no one else would personally finance a project for youths, although many lament daily and point out their sufferings. He said he did not apply to the programme to gain wealth for himself or misuse the supplies given to him but to demonstrate to those in need that someone cared for them enough to put himself at personal financial risk. Evidence of this, he noted, is the fact that although they are legally his, having applied, gotten approval and received the items, it was he who showed the authorities the items, where they were stored and provided the documentation on how he got them.
As he prepares for his return to the police station on Monday, he is hoping that the issue will be resolved and he will see the police return his property.
‘Politically-inspired harassment’
Meanwhile, in a statement issued yesterday afternoon, Granger condemned what he called the “unwarranted and unlawful deprivation of the rights and freedom” of Jones and called for an end of political harassment of. “As leader of the PNCR and representative of the list from which Christopher Jones was recently extracted to be a Member of Parliament, I call for an immediate end to this season of politically inspired harassment by the PPP,” Granger said in a statement issued yesterday afternoon by the PNCR.
“The actions of ranks of the Guyana Police Force, who blatantly disregarded an order of the court and unlawfully entered the premises of Mr. Christopher Jones; arrested him and illegally seized personal property, must be stoutly condemned and immediately investigated. The PNCR will not allow this type of harassment of former public servants or any citizen by agents of the state to stand. The PNCR calls on all Guyanese to join us to strongly condemn this abuse of state power and the persecution of an innocent man,” he added.
Granger, who noted that the PNCR stands firmly with Jones and will do everything to ensure that his rights and freedom are no longer violated, said the party is calling for an immediate cessation of harassment and politically inspired witch-hunting’ of current and former public servants. “The PNCR demands an immediate investigation into what is clearly a well-coordinated and orchestrated political attack,” he added.
Former Alliance For Change (AFC) leader and fellow coalition member Raphael Trotman alos voiced his disgust at the manner in which Jones’ arrest was made and blamed the PPP/C for the conduct of the lawmen.
“I am sickened by the obscene actions of the PPP/C regime in going after Chris Jones in the dark of night, terrifying his little children and family, showing no sense of civility or decency. If it is believed that Chris has property that belongs to the state, make a request for it, invite him to respond, if he fails or he refuses, then action can be taken. Don’t cut the electricity, wait until dark and then move “en terrorem”. This is the first of many similar acts to come. Let dignity, fairness and justice prevail!” Trotman said in a statement issued on his party’s Facebook page.
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